175gr ABLR from a Zebra

Supercat

Beginner
Jan 20, 2018
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Hello Fellas,

Just thought that I would share a pic with you of a 175gr ABLR from my 7mmRemMag MV 2815FPS, that I recovered from a big stallion Zebra that I shot at 180+-yards. The animal was full broadside and the bullet struck him first in the upper leg bone, penetrated both lungs, and the bullet was recovered under the skin on the off side. He made it around 100 yards. The recovered weight was 77gr.

I don't think that you could ask for more than a bullet after hitting an 800lb animal at 180yds. Where the bullet struck, the animal is around 3 feet thick and this was after penetrating a massive leg bone.

The gun is a Rem700 remage action, Manners Stock, 26" 1:8 Criterion Barrel with a Vias brake. I am loading 63.5gr of RL23 and getting 2,815FPS with only 5fps of spread from fastest to slowest with 1/4" groups at 100yds unless I throw one...which I usually do;)

I am often tempted to up my powder charge to get more velocity but since it's working for me I haven't bothered.

Anyway, here's the pic.
 

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Congratulations on your zebra. The recovered ABLR looks picture perfect.

JD338
 
For sure, the bullet performed as designed. Great recovery. Congratulations on your zebra.
 
Thanks Felllas! I forgot that I have another one. This one from an Impala shot at only 50 yards, hit in the hip and recovered in chest cavity. The hip looked like a hand grenede went off on it. It was 85gr.

What do you guys think of my 2,815 MV? Like I said it's accurate with 5fps high/low spread but the low MV does bother me LOL. Is it THAT slow?
 

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Good performance! As for velocity if seems to be working for you. Raise it and see if does any better . Dan.
 
175gr's and 2800 fps. If its accurate and stuff falls down when you hit it...what else do you need? Is the recoil worth it? Not being a smart @$$ at all, but a bullet that heavy, that fast, is enough to get it done, I would think. Although more Velocity is always good if its accurate. Glad it works for you. CL
 
I wouldn't worry about the velocity, it's working quite well for you at 2815 fps and an ES of 5 fps! Recovered bullets from dead critters speaks volumes.
Congratulations on the Impala.

JD338
 
Congratulations on your zebra and impala and anything else you may have shot while over there. The bullet's you recovered look quite good so thanks for posting them up.

Your speed is not bad and one of the perks of using a big case like that is that you can still have good speed even if you are a bit below maximum. In the real world another 100 fps or so probably won't make any difference at all but can see why you may wish to try another powder. Not sure I would considering how well it shoots but maybe something like Retumbo or IMR 7977 could get you there.
 
I can't see that you muzzle velocity is overly low. You have conquered the extreme spread and the standard deviation. I've always been far more concerned with those figures than velocity. Gerry is correct in cautioning that an extra one hundred fps won't make any significant difference in the real world. The 175 grain TBBC and 175 grain PT that I launched from my own 7 RM lolled along at around 2800 fps. That rifle has managed to kill about every sort of game to be had here in British Columbia, and it did so with authority. I always felt as if I was preserving my barrel, and sure enough that rifle still delivers 3/4 MOA after many years and thousands of rounds of those 175 grain bullets.
 
Thanks for the comments fellas! Yea, I;m going to keep my load as is and just shoot it, with good barrel life, ES, etc in mind. True, what difference is another 100+- FPS going to matter on game?

That heavy ABLR is a serious bullet!
 
Excellent point on barrel life hadn't thought about that, especially with a barrel that shoots great.
 
"2,815FPS with only 5fps of spread from fastest to slowest with 1/4" groups at 100yds "

Leave that puppy alone, and hunt all sorts of game with it! (y)
 
Guy Miner":1cgt513q said:
"2,815FPS with only 5fps of spread from fastest to slowest with 1/4" groups at 100yds "

Leave that puppy alone, and hunt all sorts of game with it! (y)

I even have a few hundred rounds loaded up too;)
 
With the BC on that 175 you're beating most of us running 175's by the time we cross the 300 yard line anyhow.

I am with the others, that accuracy is excellent the bullets look good as well. 175's 2800 is a great load.
 
Thanks again for your thoughts fellas!

Sometimes I get the bug to go light and fast instead of the 175 ABLR....for example a 143gr Barnes LRX at around 3,250fos instead of the 175 ABLR at 2,815.

That little mono bullet will fully penetrate just about anything and have flatter trajectory too.

How do you guys look at the above...the big ABLR against the light/fast mono bullet?

Not changing but just curious to hear your thoughts
 
I think either/or in my book. Both Barnes and Nosler's are going to do the work out to longer distances than I will shoot animals, so I'd probably pick the one that makes hits easier. I'd say the extra BC on the 175 would help in the wind but I don't know if it'd be too much different out to 500-600 yards.
 
Supercat":8jldntxn said:
Thanks again for your thoughts fellas!

Sometimes I get the bug to go light and fast instead of the 175 ABLR....for example a 143gr Barnes LRX at around 3,250fos instead of the 175 ABLR at 2,815.

That little mono bullet will fully penetrate just about anything and have flatter trajectory too.

How do you guys look at the above...the big ABLR against the light/fast mono bullet?

Not changing but just curious to hear your thoughts

I think some one just posted about a guy who shot a Grizzly with a 150 gr. bullet because he got his ammo mixed up. Bear dropped and showed impressive bullet performance when skinned.

There was a time when faster and flatter was a no brainer. We didn't have range finders and 400 yds was a heck of a long shot. (still is IMHO) I'm still of the opinion that velocity is a good thing, and my hunting situations seem to be "point and shoot". Either one will work for what you do...and that 143 will work for lots of stuff, especially when everything is "perfect". When its not.... who can say for sure? CL
 
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